88 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXVI 



wood rats for some years, as indicated by the 

 piles of sticks and trash. "Sometimes these piles 

 of fragments seem to be made merely for amuse- 

 ment or to work off surplus energy, for they form 

 useless gatherings of sticks and other materials, 

 scattered aimlessly about the wood rats' haunts." 



There are two tunnels on the Guinea Gold, 

 connected by an eighty-five foot vertical upraise. 

 Thirty feet below the upper tunnel an intermediate 

 tunnel had been driven from the upraise. There 

 was considerable water near the entrance of the 

 lower tunnel and no wood rats enter water volun- 

 tarily. The popular point of access to the mine 

 for wood rats was plainly by the upper tunnel. 

 This tunnel was bone dry and the floor was almost 

 covered with sticks, leaves and materials packed 

 in by the wood rats. Daylight penetrated gloom- 

 ily into the tunnel for some distance over old 

 abandoned nests. Eighty-five feet in from the 

 entrance of the tunnel the upraise from the lower 

 tunnel came through and since it was reported 

 that some silver-lead ore might be seen in the 

 intermediate cross-cut, we cautiously descended 

 to investigate. 



The atmosphere in the mine was decidedly ratty 

 and we had already had audible evidence that we. 

 had startled some of the rat tribe in coming 

 through the upper tunnel. We were surprised 

 to find additional wood rat accumulations and in 

 the intermediate cross-cut we came across one 

 well kept nest. It was built up on the floor of the 

 tunnel and looked very much like a comfortable 

 old hen's nest, but instead of eggs we found four 

 or five handsome young rats, gray little fellows 

 with fine fluffy soft fur, large ears and bright 

 black eyes. 



While we were admiring this litter, much to 

 our surprise the intrepid mother rat came to the 

 nest and in the full glare of the mine lamps 

 settled herself in a comfortable position. It 



''d as if the young rats had just ordered their 

 "rrr and she would not postpone it a minute 

 "^nt we were mistaken in her 

 inceiu.ii.u. I'ti' a, minutes she rose from 



ih'^ figsl. with a iuj ..' rden clinging to her tits. 

 Besides holdirj^ on wi;>i their teeth, the young 

 rats had firm n.' ; . the mother wood rat's 

 bushy tail. Toe-holds, tail-holds, or possibly a 

 combination of both secured them to her. The 

 old rat made directly for the mine shaft, descend- 

 ing gracefully and proudly, "with her tail between 

 her legs," into the inky darkness where there was 

 nothing but the rough rock wall to cling to in the 

 descent of fifty feet down to the lower tunnel. 



It was a rare exhibition of strength, a novel 

 means of transportation. We had seen a wood 

 rat jitney and a rather startling confirmation of 

 the fact that wood rats are skilful climbers. 



Wood rats must take to climbing as naturally as 

 ducks to water, judging from the location selected 

 in this mine for nesting and rearing their young. 



The second example of mother courage was 

 soon to follow, open to the light of day. We found 

 the trail down Marsh-Adams (Porcupine) Creek 

 below the mountain basin and crossed snow-slide 

 ground bearing abundant vegetation at this time 

 of the year. The trail was hard to follow for it 

 was almost wiped out for considerable distances, 

 where bears had been harvesting roots and 

 gophers. The grizzly bear is quite a digger, 

 displacing heavy bowlders in efforts to have a 

 taste of fresh meat. 



We were well down below timber line, crossing 

 through patches of huckleberry bushes. The 

 prospector called our attention to several tin 

 cans riddled with holes, near the traiL He had 

 on an earlier trip taken these tins down the trail 

 with the intention of gathering some berries. 

 They were old jam containers left with the tops 

 pressed on hard. A grizzly had found the tins 

 and punctured them badly with tooth holes. 

 Half a dozen tins were scattered about in a 

 crushed and flattened condition. 



The grizzly is a powerful animal and intelligent 

 enough to keep out of sight of man. If given due 

 warning, he will gallop off up a rough mountain 

 side with the speed of a race horse. His claws are 

 not constructed for tree climbing, they lack the 

 proper curvature, and for this reason the grizzly 

 bear must remain on the ground, take to flight, or 

 show battle. When discovered in an open space 

 he will make for the timber. 



The grizzly bear has the reputation of being a 

 land owner and he is apt to show battle if intruders 

 come into his domain unannounced. The striking 

 power of his forepaws is terrible. A prospector 

 out hunting grizzly with a partner in the Selkirk, 

 was dodging around a big tree to get out of the 

 way of one of these bears. The bear struck at 

 him and the tree got most of the blow, yet the 

 bear's large claws came around the tree with 

 enough force to hit the man a stunning blow on 

 the forehead. The bear's efforts were arrested 

 at this point by a lucky shot from the partner's 

 gun. 



Man and the black bear can get up a tree away 

 from immediate danger, if they are quick enough 

 and if there happens to be a tree at hand. The 

 black bear has been seen with young cubs dangling 

 from her flanks, holding on by their claws as the 

 mother charged through the forest in flight. 

 Young grizzly bears would have no such holding 

 on power. I have never heard of a grizzly bear 

 carrying the young to safety. 



Below where we had seen the mutilated jam 

 tins, repeated snow slides had heaped snow high 



